Changes
by RicksIlsa
Summary: Secret Exchange present forbytheseaside Henry's POV as he discovers that he is different from the other kids in town. Companion piece to A Good Father and My Wee One


Title: Changes

Rating: PG

Summary: Secret Exchange present for**bytheseaside****. **Henry's POV as he discovers that he is different from the other kids in town

Henry was five years old before he realized that he was different.

He and his mother were eating dinner in the big dining room with the nice plates, like it was a holiday. It was all to celebrate his graduation from preschool. He would be starting Kindergarten in the morning and was telling his mother of all the fun he and his favorite playmate, Joshua, would have together.

Regina listened to him ramble for a while, but when he mentioned Joshua's name she interrupted him.

"No Henry, Joshua will be staying in preschool. But don't worry, you are going to be so busy making new friends, you won't even have time to think of him," she said giving him a bright smile.

"But why? He said he was five, just like me?" Henry demanded.

The smile quickly fell from her lips and she gave him a stern glare.

"We talked about this already, Henry. Joshua is just not ready for Kindergarten yet," Regina snapped at him.

Henry shivered at the coldness in her eyes, and quickly turned back to his food.

Regina's attitude got better throughout the night as Henry was careful to not mention his friend again, and instead questioned her on what he should expect at school. At first her answers were short and snippy, but when he asked her to quiz him on his colors and ABCs, the warmth returned to her voice and that coldness left her dark eyes.

His mother walked him to school on that first day. He would be taking the bus tomorrow, but it was customary for parents to escort their children on the first day of school. At least, he thought it was. However, Henry quickly realized with an uneasy feeling in his stomach that there were no other parents around. Just the other kids walking, laughing, and acting as though they knew exactly where they were going and as if they had all known each other for awhile. Even the really young ones. Their confidence was a bit unnerving, but Henry was too afraid to say anything. He didn't want Regina to leave him in anger.

His teacher was a nice, plump, older woman with soft warm hands that clasped his comfortingly when Regina introduced them. His mother's hands had always felt cold and a little boney.

His mother left with a quick kiss to his forehead and a couple of the girls giggled at him. Henry blushed and began to head for an empty seat, but the teacher stopped him. She had him stand before the class and introduce himself and then had all of the other kids tell him their names.

"Now everyone be nice to Henry, it's his first day."

"Um, isn't it everyone's first day?" He questioned her.

The teacher smiled down at him.

"Oh no dear, these are the same kids that were here last year. Now have a seat..."

"But, I thought after a year, you move up to first grade," Henry pointed out, puzzled.

The teacher's smile remained.

"Yes, dear, now take a seat please. It's time to get started."

Henry sighed and made his way to the empty desk.

There was something off about his teacher.

As the day progressed things got even worse. The other kids really knew each other very well, and didn't seem interested in making friends with Henry. Of course, his insistence that they should have all moved up to first grade this year quickly bored any of them who tried to have a conversation with him. Whenever he pressed them on ages and past birthdays they all seemed to get a little confused and then brush off his concern as if he was being silly.

By the time school was over for the day he felt frustrated and incredible lonely.

Henry hurried to his mother's office, eager to get some sort of explanation for the day's events. The old man who owned the local pawn shop was leaving the building as Henry walked up.

"Hello Henry, how was your first day of school?" Mr. Gold asked him as he approached.

The old man leaned heavily on his cane, and Henry wondered, not for the first time, how he had injured himself.

"Um, fine. Excuse me, my mother's waiting," Henry said and ran inside.

He barreled into her office and soon wished that he had stayed and chatted with Mr. Gold for a while as he and his mother proceeded to have the worst argument they had ever had. He tried to tell her about the oddities of the school and his classmates, but she didn't want to hear it. She yelled at him for rebuffing offers of friendship with his ridiculous ideas.

"I don't understand!" He gestured at the pictures of himself that lined the walls and shelves of the office, "Why am I the only one who ever changes?"

Regina's eyes filled with that coldness again and it seemed to pour out over her face and cover her entire body.

But Henry pressed on.

"Every year I have a birthday party. But no one else does. Not even you! All these pictures show me growing up, but you look exactly the same!"

It was the first and only time Regina had slapped him.

They both looked stunned, but then the mayor gave herself a little shake and grabbed Henry's chin forcing him to look her in the face.

"You listen to me, Henry. You are never ever to mention this crazy idea of yours again, do you hear me? Not to me, not to anyone, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he said in a hoarse voice.

When she released him, he turned and ran out the door.

His tears blinded him as he ran so he didn't see until he had nearly knocked the man over.

"Whoa, Henry! Are you alright?"

He recognized the Scottish accent though he couldn't see through the blurry tears. Henry nodded but couldn't speak as he tried to hold back sobs.

The man's grip on Henry's shoulder was surprisingly strong as he led the boy to a bench a little way down the street. It was set back off the sidewalk so passersby wouldn't easily notice them.

Henry hopped up on the seat and quickly hid his face in his hands.

Mr. Gold sighed as he sat down.

"Did you know that you were your mother's most desperate and desired wish? She wanted a child so badly, she hired me to find one for her."

The tears stopped and Henry looked up at the man in confusion.

"Find one? You mean. I'm adopted?"

But Mr. Gold wasn't listening. He reached a hand toward the boy and gently stroked the cheek that his mother had slapped.

"Children are so precious. The most valuable of all treasures..." he murmered then snatched his hand away.

The man suddenly looked angry. His eyes nearly glowed with the anger. It was hot, fiery and in direct contrast to the coldness of his mother's.

It didn't scare Henry though. The anger was not directed at him.

"Mr. Gold, what did you mean..."

"Miss Blanchard?" Mr. Gold called out abruptly, cutting Henry off.

A petite woman with short dark hair and white creamy skin walked over toward them.

"Mr. Gold?" She asked uncertainly, eyes straying to Henry.

He stood with help of his cane and beckoned her closer.

"Have you met Henry Mills? Henry, this is Miss Blanchard. She is a teacher at your school, and I'm sure you'll be in her class one day, when you're older," Mr. Gold said as if it were just a normal, pleasant afternoon.

"Nice to meet you, Henry," Miss Blanchard said, holding out a hand to him.

Henry politely shook her hand, but found himself mesmerized by her kind brown eyes. He clung tightly, feeling a few more tears escape. She seemed so familiar to him. Like... she was family. Or what he thought family was supposed to feel like.

"I must have a word with the Mayor. Miss Blanchard, would you be so kind as to sit with Henry for a few minutes?"

She nodded and sank down onto Mr. Gold's vacated spot.

"Certainly," she said, pulling the boy into a warm embrace when he began sobbing again.

The older man limped back toward Regina's office, stopping to call over a man holding an umbrella and walking down the opposite side of the street.

"Dr. Hopper, might I have a moment of your time?"

The two men exchanged a few words before both entered the building.

Miss Blanchard rubbed Henry's back soothingly and began rambling to him about her birds and squirrels. The robin eggs in the nest outside her classroom window had hatched that morning, and she invited Henry to visit her the next day during recess to show him.

The tears stopped and Henry smiled and happily agreed. Perhaps he had made a new friend today after all.

The mayor came outside a few minutes later looking stricken.

When her eyes fell on Miss Blanchard they hardened and turned cold again.

"What do you think you are doing?" Regina hissed dangerously at the petite woman.

"I was just... leaving," Miss Blanchard said and stood.

"See you later, Henry."

The cold eyes turned to Henry, and for a second he felt more afraid of her than he ever had before.

But then the tell-tale sound of Mr. Gold's cane made his mother pause and shut her eyes.

When they opened again, the coldness was gone, buried behind the mask, and she knelt to be eye level with her son.

"Henry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you. I promise I'll never do it again," she gave him an awkward hug that he did not return.

"Now, starting tomorrow, you'll be visiting with Dr. Hopper after school. You can talk to him about all this stuff you don't understand, and he can try to help. Does that sound good?"

He nodded.

"Good. Now let's get some dinner," she said, standing and offering him her hand.

Henry grabbed her cold, uncomfortable hand and wished that it was Miss Blanchard taking him to dinner.

They passed Mr. Gold as they walked toward Granny's. Regina didn't acknowledge him, but he winked at Henry and the boy felt his spirits lift just a little.

Maybe this wasn't as bad as he thought. Maybe this cold, mean woman wasn't his real mother. Maybe Miss Blanchard would help him find her.

He looked back and watched the old man turn the corner toward his shop.

And if she wouldn't, maybe Mr. Gold would.

It was nice to not feel so alone anymore.

End

Note: Ok, so I was able to get this one finished faster than I thought. I'm still working on the Regina and Mary Margaret ones though.


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